Surendra Desai, father of Suketu Desai, after winding up the film production activities established by his father Chimanlal Desai, worked as production manager in Films Division. He later managed New Talkies and Neptune theatre.

The patriarch of Indian Cinema, Chimanlal Desai, entered film production business in 1930 by co-founding Sagar Film Company, Sagar Movietone, during the transition of Indian film industry from silent films to talkies.

A homemaker, Daksha, married to Suketu Desai in 1971, was struggling to make a living in Bombay, and had to do stitching and embroidery work to earn a little extra.

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(Above, top): A rare photograph shows legendary actors Raj Kapoor (l) and Nargis Dutt (2nd. from l) with Chimanlal Desai (c), at the time of release of “Shri 420,” dining at Ishwarbhai’s Calcutta residence, is just one of many such photos published in “Sagar Movietone.” (Above, left): Chimanlal Desai. (Above, right): Mehboob Khan and Zubeida in “Mahabharat” (1933), a Sagar Movietone production.

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Destiny brought the Desai family to Silicon Valley, where they started a food business out of home. Shanker, their first customer, was with Daksha all along her journey from home-cooked food to home-style cooking and a very successful Indian vegetarian restaurant, Deedee’s, with a colorful menu selection of dishes from a different region in India, each weekend.

“I was encouraged to write a book on the peaks and valleys of life that led me to learn how to live with all odds and be successful by keeping a positive attitude in a negative world,” says Daksha, and courteously admits that her achievements stand nowhere in comparison to the feat of the family’s pride, her husband’s grandfather, Chimanlal Desai.

A good part of Daksha’s life was spent in uncertainties about the present and she never tried to delve into family history. Suketu and Daksha retired from their restaurant business and returned back to India a few years ago.

It was then, Daksha played host to a prominent writer who was visiting Ahmedabad to release one of his books. Chandrasekhar Vaidya, a school-time friend of Daksha, introduced her to various writers including Biren Kothari, who presented an idea, that was later published as a book on the history of Indian Cinema from the early part of the century-old Indian film industry, with a special focus on Chimanlal Desai, and his contribution to Indian Cinema.

During the seventies and eighties, Suketu and Daksha Desai lived in Marina Apartments in Bandra, Bombay. Aamir Khan, the ace actor, director and producer, was their neighbor, living in the same society. Suketu fondly remembers meeting Aamir when he was only two-years-old. Aamir’s childhood was spent playing cricket in the small ground in front of the apartments.

Almost three decades later, Aamir Khan unveiled the book, Sagar Movietone, Feb. 11, at the Khar Gymkhana in Mumbai.

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(Above): Sushila Rani Patel, the 96-year-old veteran actor who starred in Chimanlal Desai’s movies, speaks on the occasion. Also seen are Aamir Khan, Ashok K. Gupta, Ravindra Jain, Prasoon Joshi, Rajkumar Hirani and Daksha Desai among others present to unveil the book “Sagar Movietone,” in Mumbai, Feb. 11.


(Above): Suketu Desai (2nd. from l), the grandson of Chimanlal Desai, seen here with (l-r) Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Anil Kapoor, Aamir Khan and Daksha Desai, at the book release event in Mumbai, Feb. 11.

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“I am interested in history, especially film history. I feel that in India we don’t record history, biographies as much as we should. I love reading and I miss that,” Aamir said at the book release event. 

Expressing his regards to Chimanlal Desai, Aamir said, “This book is like a history of Indian Cinema and a lesson for current film makers that whatever they are doing now, its foundation has been laid long back, and every cine-goer or filmmaker should read this book.”

The event was also attended by many big names from the Bollywood fraternity, Anil Kapoor, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, Prasoon Joshi and Kailash Surendranath. 96-year-old veteran, Sushila Rani Patel, who starred in Chimanlal Desai’s movies, was also present to grace the occasion. Erstwhile music director Ravindra Jain entertained the crowd with his instant rhyme of words.

Among many other distinguished guests present, were director of Dhoom 3, Vijay Krishna Acharya, Jeet Surendranath, Aarti Kailash Surendranath, music director Tushar Bhatia, film music historian Nalin Shah, and friends and family members of the Desais.

Suketu Desai took the audience down memory lane with untold stories of yesteryears mentioning Mehboob Khan, the director of Mother India, who was also a part of Sagar Movietone.

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(Above): A rare photograph shows legendary actors Raj Kapoor (l) and Nargis Dutt (2nd. from l) with Chimanlal Desai (c), at the time of release of “Shri 420,” dining at Ishwarbhai’s Calcutta residence, is just one of many such photos published in “Sagar Movietone.”

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Finding information unknown is an uphill task, especially for an era that has no or very little reference material available as most of the characters of the story are buried in the dust of time untraced. The book, Sagar Movietone, is a must read for anyone interested in the history of Indian Cinema. It takes you down memory lane in a very unique way. The author’s attempt to track the transition of silent films to talkies, mentioning its social significance, has placed Bollywood in historical and social context.

After the release of Sagar Movietone, Daksha and Suketu Desai feel they are leaving behind a legacy for their two daughters Dr. Rutuja Patel and Radhika Desai. The pride of living a meaningful life is an achievement of a lifetime.

“Sagar Movietone” is published by Saarthak Prakashan and Deedee’s Corporation of  Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, in English and Gujarati. Interested readers can get more information by sending an email to spguj2013@gmail.com.